This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Automotive instrument clusters typically comprise large discreet display areas for a speedometer and a tachometer, and a number of smaller displays for coolant temperature, oil pressure, oil temperature, fuel level and the like. Arranged within and around the cluster are other indicators showing low fluid level conditions, turn signal operation, emergency light blinkers and so forth. The analog displays within the display fields can be provided by means of devices having electromechanical movements for causing an angular sweep of a needle across the display field. In many systems, low values of the measured quantity are typically displayed at the left side or bottom of the display field, high values at the right side or top of the display field, and intermediate values at incrementally spaced locations between the left and right sides.
Many instrument clusters also incorporate user actuated members, such as push buttons or rotary switches for performing a predetermined action. For example, push buttons can be incorporated on an instrument cluster to communicate a user input to a display or trip computer, to reset an odometer, reset an oil life indicator, or perform other actions. Display systems, which are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,193,729 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/275,365, employ a scanning light source to produce pulsed light beam sweeping across the display field. The present teaching utilizes the same scanning light source and portions of the display field to provide user activated members while keeping all features of the said display system un-affected.
For a display which is created using the scanning light source, it is difficult to package the cables, wires, and electrical switches and components without interfering with the path of light used for the display. Moreover a solution that is flexible in placement of the switches and does not add significant cost or complexity is desired